Search suspended for man linked to deaths of 8 people, police say efforts exhausted - Action News
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Search suspended for man linked to deaths of 8 people, police say efforts exhausted

Akwesasne Mohawk police are suspending the organized search of local waterways for a man linked to the eight people whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week.

Oakeswas last seen on the night of March 29 operating a boat near Cornwall Island

A police boat near a marsh in early spring.
Police search marshland March 31, 2023 where bodies were found in Akwesasne, a Mohawk community west of Montreal on the Ontario, Quebec and New York borders. (Christinne Muschi/Reuters)

Akwesasne Mohawk police are suspending the organized search of local waterways for a man linked to the eight people whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week.

Police say they believe they have exhausted search efforts on the water for 30-year-oldCaseyOakesand are set to resume normal patrol operations, unless they receive "actionable intelligence."

Oakeswas last seen on the night of March 29 operating a boat found next to the bodies of two families, one from Romania and the other from India.

Police say the families were trying to cross into the United States through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which straddles provincial and international boundaries and includes regions of Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

Casey Oakes, 30, remains missing following the discovery of eight bodies in the St. Lawerence River.
Casey Oakes, 30, remains missing following the discovery of eight bodies in the St. Lawerence River. (Akwesasne Mohawk Police)

Authorities have said the area's geography makes it a popular spot for human smugglers, with police completing 48 separate interceptions involving 80 people trying to enter the United States illegally since January.

Akwesasne Mohawk police say they will make continued efforts to findOakesduring daily operations and are asking the public to be on the lookout.